Egypt's protesters gear up for big rallies today

HAMZA HENDAWI

Friday

Jan 28, 2011 at 12:20 AM

CAIRO — Egypt’s grass-roots protest movement got a double boost Thursday that could energize the largest anti-government demonstrations in years — the return of Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei and the backing of the biggest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood.

The real test will be whether Egypt’s fragmented opposition can come together, with today’s rallies expected to be some of the biggest so far.

On social networking sites, there was buzz the gatherings called after prayers today could attract huge numbers of protesters demanding the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak after nearly 30 years in power. Millions gather at mosques across the city on Fridays, giving organizers a vast pool of people to tap into.

Facebook and Twitter have helped drive this week’s protests. But by evening, those sites were disrupted, along with cell phone text messaging and Blackberry Messenger services.

Violence escalated Thursday at protests outside the capital. In the flashpoint city of Suez, along the strategic Suez Canal, protesters torched a fire station and looted weapons they then turned on police.

In the northern Sinai area of Sheik Zuweid, several hundred Bedouins and police exchanged gunfire, killing a 17-year-old man. About 300 protesters surrounded a police station from rooftops of nearby buildings and fired two RPGs at it, damaging the walls.

The 82-year-old Mubarak has not been seen in public or heard from since the protests began Tuesday with tens of thousands marching in Cairo and a string of other cities.

While he may still have a chance to ride out this latest challenge, his choices are limited, and all are likely to lead to a loosening of his grip on power.

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